Dread
by EgyptianJudgement
Summary: Fears of a family life has both Yuffie and Vincent worried about the future. But is there really anything to worry about? OneShot Yuffentine


**Dread**

_Vincent's POV _

My life…

I've influenced many things and many people: I know this now. Some influences were obviously against my better wishes – it's no lie. Now everything I've ever influenced is coming back to keep me down once again.

I found someone who cares for me in ways I've never thought possible. Monsters aren't supposed to me loved, yet she doesn't care. She loves me and I care for her. Her father has already given me her hand in marriage, leaving me to reflect upon on my past and the possible future.

Yuffie's been so happy lately, cheerful and as beautiful as ever, even more so now that she's carrying out child. She's so happy to finally have a life together and I don't wish to hurt her for my own selfish needs. It's too late to change what is.

Also, I don't think I'm ready for this particular future. I'm not a wise leader – I know I cannot take Lord Godo's place in leading Wutai, yet I'm told everything is in my favor.

At night I've been asking myself "Why?" and tried to find an answer. There is none. I want her to be happy, but my own unsure feelings are getting in the way. Do I rule with her as my queen or do I run?

It all seems so pointless to me now – so useless.

What do I know about love? I know that I've fallen into it twice and that I'm afraid of the first time repeating itself again, but is that enough? I'm afraid to hurt her and leave her unprotected against those that may harm her. What to do?

Here she comes. Do I hug her close or act deep in thought? Will she notice my hesitation?

_Yuffie's POV_

He's been acting so strangely… It's like he's hiding himself from the truth and it's worrying me. I'm afraid that he wants to leave before it gets worse. I can't raise this baby by myself. I can't rule Wutai on my own.

I need him.

I truly think Vinnie's the one I love – I need his strength, his support, his care. He's my life.

I don't know what's wrong with him, but I need to know so I can help. He doesn't see how much this is affecting me. I've been so nervous that I'll wake up in the morning and he won't be laying beside me. I can't help but wonder when he'll snap and run from me.

I don't _want_ to know.

Vinnie's so confused – that's all I know. He went through this before, and he got so hurt… I need him to know that this time's different. I need him to know how much love I feel for him – I need him to know how much he means to me.

I'm going to his room now. How I wish he'll listen to me. I want him to hold me and tell me everything's okay – that we still have that love from before.

_Author's POV_

"Vinnie? Is everything okay in there?" Yuffie asked, biting her lip as she knocked on his bedroom door. When silence met her ears, she began to panic. Did he leave? "Vinnie? Vinnie, please let me come in!" she cried, by now terrified.

Her words tore at his heart. Vincent didn't want her to hurt anymore, but look at what was caused despite his wishes. "I'm right here, Yuffie," he answered, not bothering to look up.

She nearly screamed for joy, running in and catching him in a hug, burying her face in his chest and crying, pushing herself into his body in a feeble attempt to get him to hold her.

Startled, Vincent looked down at the little ninja worried. "What's wrong? He muttered, hugging her close and nuzzling her check as he sat down on the bed with her.

She calmed down considerably in a few minutes' time, hiccoughing weakly. "…Is everything okay, Vinnie? You're not thinking of leaving are you?" she whimpered, returning the nuzzle.

"…I won't lie to you, Yuffie. I wanted to for the longest time."

She fidgeted nervously in his lap. "But you're not gonna, right? 'Cause if you are, I'll never stop crying."

He didn't doubt it in the slightest. She'd probably collapse or worse if he did. "No. I won't leave you. Not now." He silently refused to say "Not ever." There were too many possibilities attached to that phrase to use it freely.

Yuffie didn't seem to notice, however, and rested her head against his shoulder, sighing contentedly. Her happiness brought a small smile to his face as he lay back against the mattress, pulling a blanket over her as he lay awake, listening to her even breathing as she slept beside him.

_Yuffie's POV_

When I awoke, it was just enough to smuggle closer to him, but when there was nothing beside me, I sat up straight and felt my heart chill over. Where was he? Did he leave me last night when I was sleeping?

Panicked, I threw myself off the bed and ran downstairs, the tears flowing freely at the prospect of my nightmares coming true. I couldn't lose him – not with the baby coming so soon.

_Author's POV_

Cloud looked up when he heard her on the stairs and asked what was wrong. When she explained how Vincent had disappeared, he pointed to the door with a smile. "He's outside Yuffie. Don't worry."

"Yeah. O-okay," she whispered, walking outside tentatively. It was obvious enough that her emotions were getting the better of her. The first thing she noticed, happily enough, was her lover standing on the porch, deep in thought.

_Vincent's POV_

As I gazed out over the front yard and the county scenery that surrounded it, I couldn't help but think on my predicament. When the front door opened, I winced. I'd never be able to make a decision if I couldn't be alone to ponder it!

I looked angrily over my shoulder at the intruder, intent upon telling him off, but every angry emotion vanished when it was revealed to be my Yuffie standing there in the doorway.

But she caught me at a good time. It took a split second, but I knew what I was going to do.

_Author's POV_

"Hey, Vinnie? I love you." Yuffie stood on tiptoe to kiss his lips tenderly. When he returned it gently, she smirked weakly and rested her head on his chest with his arms around her.

The gentle breeze put her discomfort at ease for the time being, reminding her to enjoy the time they had together, no matter how little it was.

"Yuffie, when do you want to leave for Wutai?" he whispered, jolting her back to her hopes of a happy future.

"You're coming!" she squealed, hugging him tightly.

"Be careful," he muttered, seeming to shy away from her question.

"I know, I know. But are you?" she whimpered, pushing away from him enough to just be holding onto his sides.

He nodded, pulling her back into his arms and kissing her ear. "I won't leave you. You mean too much to be, you know that."

She purred softly as he whispered in her ear, shivering happily. "I'm glad," she muttered, closing her eyes.

He smiled and asked her again. "When do you want to leave for Wutai?" Lord Godo will want to visit with us soon, right?"

Yuffie opened her eyes and nodded. "Yeah. Um… I guess tomorrow morning would be okay. We need to pack too, don't we?" she giggled.

"Right."

"Man, Vince. I can't believe you're act'ally gonna go with that brat," Cid sighed, shaking his head as he walked up Highwind's loading ramp, two suitcases under each arm.

"I don't see why not," Vincent replied quickly, carrying five suitcases himself. "We care for each other. How you can't see that, I don't know."

"Whoa! Don't go gettin' all snippy at me! She just doesn't seem your type, is all."

Vincent shook his head, sighing. "Just load the ship and take us to Wutai."

"Sure thing, Vince, but it's gonna be your funeral. Them Wutain folk aren't too happy with outsiders nowadays."

"I'm not worried."

Cid sighed. "All right. I'm still gonna worry about you, though."

He shrugged. "I appreciate it, but it's not needed."

_Vincent's POV_

Was Cid right? Was my engagement to her just a hoax? Something that was never to fully flourish?

I'm worried, but not for me. Yuffie is carrying something that the Wutains will never accept. I'm terrified for them – I'm worried for my family.

_Author's POV_

Yuffie spun around the pagoda, her face flushed, her eyes sparkling. Today Vincent would get the news he'd been waiting for for months.

"Vinnie? Where are you?" she called, wanting to tell him the good news.

He looked up at her voice. "Upstairs," he called back, referring to the fifth floor of the pagoda, his proper place. It had been four years since Godo passed away, just a few months after the two married. Instead of revolting on their new lord, as he had feared, they honored him all the more for his timely arrival, and so far, he lad led Wutai with wisdom and grace, skill and a fearful hand. He was no Godo, but Wutai respected Vincent as if he was.

It took her a few minutes to get up there, but when she did, she hugged him close and kissed him. "It's a girl!" she squealed, smiling in delight.

Vincent beamed. "Cassim will be delighted," he chuckled.

"I hope so, Vinnie. He'll have to be, won't he? She'll be his sister, after all," she giggled, rubbing noses with him.

"What'll I haveta be?"

"Cassim! You're supposed to be in school!" Yuffie reprimanded, wagging her finger at her son.

"But Gorky's boring!" he pouted, stomping his feet.

Vincent smirked. "All right. For today, you're excused. But tomorrow you've got to study, deal?" He crouched down to Cassim's level to look him in the eyes

"Aww… okay!" Cassim replied, beaming.

Crashing thunder woke him up from his slumber late that night. Something told him the pagoda was in danger, and he rose from bed, pulling his kimono over his head as he did so.

The pagoda looked menacing against the blackened, stormy sky and left a strong feeling of foreboding in the back of hid mind, but the pride he knew that building held compelled him to protect it at all costs.

Inside, the storm was muffled to a dull growl and no other sound could he heard except his heart pounding in his ears and the hollow footsteps against the wood beneath him.

Whatever was in there was on the fifth floor. That much he knew.

The final landing proved to be just as empty as the previous four, which put him on edge. After all, Wutai was the land of ninja.

"It's been too long, Lord Valentine."

Vincent snarled and spun to face the voice, the shuriken he recently mastered in hand. "What do want with the pagoda?" he growled, eyes narrowed as he scanned the room.

"It's not the pagoda I want. You're the stain of Wutai… You will be removed."

_Vincent's POV_

At that moment, I knew. Wutai never respected me. They wanted me gone from the start. But I had too much here – my family, my life. Wutai's future resided in my hands.

They wouldn't take me down. It was too late for that now.

_Author's POV_

The assassin leapt down from the rafters, falling cat-like to the floor. Seeing his chance, Vincent raised the shuriken to attack, but the assassin raised a silenced pistol and with dizzying speed fired 6 shorts into the Wutain Lord's chest, smirking from beneath his face mask as Vincent's body arched backwards, blood spurting about and staining the wood beneath the corpse, turning its blue kimono into a dark purplish-black.

"…See? You ARE the stain of Wutai," he hissed, crouching down by the staring corpse, running his fingers in the still-flowing blood of the previous Vincent Valentine.

The storm had cleared sometime during the night, leaving a gentle wake-up for the Lady Yuffie.

Rolling over in bed, she glanced over to smile at her husband and kiss him, but her smile became a disappointed frown when he wasn't in bed.

_Yuffie's POV_

I thought he wanted an early start, so I dressed and headed across town to check up on him, worried when I couldn't hear anything inside.

Vinnie always spends time on the top floor, so I walked up…

And screamed.

He was dead! My Vinnie was dead on the floor!

I ran over to him and dropped to my knees, crying freely. Not now! He did so much for Wutai, so why did he die!

The bullet holes explained a lot, too. Cruel irony. That's what it was!

_Author's POV_

"I see you've found the surprise. I was hoping for someone to fetch you in a frenzy, but I suppose this will do…"

Yuffie jumped, her reddened eyes searching angrily for Vincent's killer. "Show yourself!" she barked, trying her best to hide the still-falling tears.

"But Lady Yuffie, if I did that, then you'd know who I was. And we can't have that, now can we?"

"I'll remember your voice!"

"Really, now." It was so blunt, so dead. It was bone-chilling.

"…Why? Why did you kill him!"

"He's a stain to Wutai's proud history. He was no good."

"How _dare_ you say that about him!" she shrieked, jumping to her feet with Conformer in hand.

"Funny. The belated lord looked the same way before he died."

Yuffie's eyes widened and Conformer fell to the floor with a clatter. "…No…" she breathed. Cassim! Wutai! Everything was at stake. This... creature was going to destroy everything.

"That's it. That's right. Make it easier for me," the assassin chuckled.

She clenched her firsts. "NO!" she screamed, grabbing and throwing Conformer towards the voice and watching the body fall, his neck severed almost completely.

Conformer returned silently to her hand and she sobbed, turning back and laying beside Vincent's cold corpse, holding him close to her as she buried her head in his neck, ignoring the clod blood as it stuck to her face and entwined into her hair. "Vinnie.. .how could they?"

Click, ploik. From the doorway, he saw the ninja's body shudder for one last time before still altogether.

"Decoys. So very useful nowadays…" A cold chuckle escaped his lips as he looked the two over. "Together in death, just as it was meant to be."

But the "battles" were too easy. "And they were in AVALANCHE… Family life turned them soft…" He shook his head sadly.

This part of his mission accomplished, Croix turned on his heel and left the pagoda without a sound. He'd be back for round two.

**A/N:** I liked this fic when I wrote it. When it was typed... Not so much. I mean, I love Yuffentine with a passion, don't get me wrong, but the whole dying-in-one-another's-arms-and-the-like ideas just… seem cute. I dunnu why. I'm a freak like that. D

Okay, we've got some copyrights to dump out. Croix – the assassin – is my cousin's character. He created him from a picture he found on Anime Visions and I got his permission to use him for this fic. So, Croix © him.

Cassim – their son – is a character I made up for a FF7 "Next Generation" roleplay who, simply, looks like Vincent with Yuffie's eyes and personality, if ya couldn't tell. Yes, his name is from Aladdin and the King of Thieves. xD But Cassim © to me. Except his name. That's Disney's as far as I know.

W00t for long Author's Notes! xD


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